Korean Job Discussion Forums

xtchr · Joined: 23 Nov 2004

For a Lunar New Year's present my boss gave me 12 kilograms of sugar. Shocked

6kg of white sugar and 6kg of brown sugar. Very Happy

I don't even use sugar at all and I can't really ask him why as he doesn't speak English and there's the whole 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth' thing. I'm not ungrateful, just more than a little mystified. My mind is still boggling and I have a few questions:
Is this a Korean custom?
What can it possibly mean? Anything/Nothing?
Has anyone else ever been given truly weird gifts?
What should I do with it all?

peppermint · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 6:23 pm Post subject:

I got a case of SPAM my first year, and I'm vegetarian. Koreans give what they consider practical gifts. .

theSeeker · Joined: 18 Jun 2004

SPAM?

SPAM!!!!!!

and for a vegetarian...

Ha Ha Ha!

peppermint · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:37 pm Post subject:

I know, I laughed so hard I cried.

Zenpickle · Joined: 06 Jan 2004 Location: Anyang -- Bisan

Our school's owner gave us all tea thermoses. But the director made sure to point out to everyone that the Korean teachers got the cheaper thermoses.

GeoMaster · Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Location: Republic of Korea

I got a MASSIVE BOX of seaweed with a bag of dried small black beans to crunch on...

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

I got socks for Seoulnal and a dvd for Christmas from my co-teacher. For Chuseok I got a gold-plated pen and a vest from my Principal

FUBAR · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: The Y.C.

Every year I have gotten socks. Then this past year, I got 15kgs of Pears from my Vice Principal and I live alone.

You can guess what was on the menu for the next few weeks. Shocked

GeoMaster · Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Location: Republic of Korea

Bragger... Wink

ThePoet · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 5:00 am Post subject:

Spam was the gift of choice last year and for Chuseok (well, SPAM and Tuna) -- this Solnal, we got three 1 lb containters of honey....mmmmmm I love honey in tea, on bread, and in chili...what a wonderful gift!

Poet

Dawn · Joined: 06 Mar 2004

In the past, our school has given oil for Solnal. This year, they realized that foreigners living alone really don't have any need for 4 liters of oil, so the foreign teachers got socks instead. It was noted, however, that "our" socks cost more than "their" oil. Wink

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Hey, I got a tuna/soy sauce gift set................mmmmmmmmm

But I would much rather have gotten .......PAID! Evil or Very Mad

Sleepy in Seoul · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 5:38 am Post subject:

At my hakwon, all the teachers, Korean and foreign, received a big boxed set of soaps and shampoos.

I'm still wondering if there was an unspoken message there...

Pyongshin Sangja · Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Location: I love baby!

I've received SPAM twice, tuna, socks, shampoo, soap, a swanky pen, and handkerchiefs. On a bed of rice, they're quite tasty.

PolyChronic Time Girl · Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Location: Korea Exited

When I left my hagwon last year, the korean female teachers all pitched in and got me a gift. I was expecting socks or another useless hankerchief.
Instead, it was racy red lingerie Very Happy